E. GUIGAL

Côte-Rôtie La Turque

La Turque is Guigal’s latest addition to the single-vineyard Côte-Rôties. This vineyard produced outstanding wines in the first half of the 20th century, but then was not used for wine production for nearly 50 years. The Guigals acquired the vineyard and re-planted it in 1980 and 1981 based on Etienne Guigal’s memory of the quality of the wines it once produced, and the first vintage appeared in 1985. In both position and style, it sits between La Mouline and La Turque: the complex soils lend an exotic character to La Turque, and its concentration and elegance exhibit the virility of the Côte Brune with the subtlety and femininity of the Côte Blonde.

La Turque is around 2.5 acres in size, situated just north of the Côte Blonde and into the Côte Brune on a steep slope that enjoys perfect southern exposure; La Turque is in fact the only vineyard in Côte-Rôtie that directly sees the first rays of sunshine in the morning all the way through the last rays of dusk. This vineyard is planted to 93% Syrah and 7% Viognier, with a soil type of silicone limestone with schist that produces clay soils rich in iron oxide.

The wine is punched down and alcoholic fermentation and maceration last around 4 weeks. Aging is for 40 months in new oak barrels made at the Chateau d’Ampuis cooperage.

2000 Vintage

"The 2014 Côte Rôtie La Turque offers more obvious structure than the La Mouline, boasting a deep purple color and classic notes of crème de cassis, caramelized blackberries, spice, and toasty oak. It’s full-bodied, straight and focused on the palate, with building tannin, yet is certainly more approachable and sexy than the 2013. It’s a beautiful wine." 94-97 Points Jeb Dunnuck

"Still in barrel, the 2014 Cote Rotie La Turque shows classy floral aromas and red raspberries upfront, then delivers herbal notes, layers of red fruit and lithe, wiry structure on the medium to full-bodied palate. It manages to be silky in texture yet firm at the same time, concentrated yet seemingly weightless, and long on the finish."94-96 Points Wine Advocate

"A bigger, richer wine than the La Mouline, the 2013 Côte Rôtie La Turque offers full-bodied, layered and almost decadent notes of blackcurrants, chocolate, cassis and toasted spice. This beauty has building tannic grip, a layered, concentrated mid-palate and serious length—all pointing to a long, healthy life. Forget bottles for 4-5 years and enjoy over the following two decades." 95-97 Points Wine Advocate

"(made with 50 percent whole clusters) Inky ruby. Bright, intensely perfumed aromas of red and blue fruits, Indian spices and potpourri are energized by a smoky mineral quality. Juicy, focused and pure, displaying deeply concentrated but lively boysenberry and cherry liqueur flavors, along with hints of candied flowers and five-spice powder. Echoes the floral and spicy notes on the strikingly long, penetrating finish, which features harmonious tannins and a hint of bitter chocolate."95 Points Vinous Media

"A step up over the La Mouline, the 2013 Côte Rôtie La Turque is concentrated, full-bodied, and structured, with lots of minerality, chocolate, and pepper nuances in its darker berry fruits, cassis and bacon fat aromas and flavors. With a great mid-palate, building tannin, and the more tight, austere style of the vintage, give bottles another 4-5 years and enjoy over the following two decades." 95 Points Jeb Dunnuck

"Similar to the La Mouline with its forward, incredibly sexy style, the 2012 Côte Rôtie La Turque (there’s 7% Viognier in the blend) offers a saturated purple color to go with meaty, smoky notes of cassis, cured meats, chocolate and roasted herbs. It’s a big mouthful of a wine, with full-bodied richness and a stacked mid-palate, but it has a seamless, weightless texture, perfectly ripe tannin and a blockbuster finish. I’d happily drink a glass today, but it should be at its finest from 2020-2046." 98 Points Wine Advocate

"Features warm fig bread and ganache notes out front, followed by densely layered blackberry, plum and black currant reduction flavors. Ganache details echo through the finish, along with Turkish coffee and smoldering alder hints. A large-scale wine that should cruise in the cellar. Best from 2020 through 2040." 97 Points Wine Spectator

"Made from syrah and 7% viognier, this has an intriguingly assertive yet elegant stance. it's compact, powerful and composed. Very complex, fragrant notes on the nose of orange zest, pepper, cloves and cardamom: It's all really spicy. On the palate, this is elegant and silky with plenty of fine tannin and a structure that's striking for its density. Dark-chocolate flavors are also a prominent feature. This expands vertically on the palate, even if oak ageing has mellowed this nicely all the way up to its creamy finish. A wine of clarity and purity: complex but refined. Drink 2020-2030+." 97 Points James Suckling

"A brick house, with a thick wall of smoldering charcoal in front of the fruit, though the core of steeped plum, blackberry and fig flavors has ample energy and depth in reserve. Given time, these elements should meld with the beautiful singed iron and mesquite hints already peeking in on the finish. Best from 2018 through 2030." 97 Points Wine Spectator, Spectator Selection Collectibles

"Deeper in color than the la Mouline, the deep ruby/purple 2011 Cote Rotie la Turque offers more dark fruits, tapenade, graphite and spice in its meaty, truffle, black olive-scented personality. Gorgeously pure and full-bodied, it opens up beautifully with time in the glass, has incredible purity, no hard edges, killer length and an already hard to resist personality. Despite this, is has the tannic backbone, acidity and balance to evolve for three decades."97 Points Wine Advocate

"On this showing, the 2010 La Turque was incredible, in a lineup of incredible wines. Offering off-the-chart notes of cassis, blackberry, aged beef, chocolate, crushed rock and exotic flowers, it flows onto the palate with a massive, full-bodied feel that carries ultra-fine tannin, awesome depth and a blockbuster finish. Syrah, or wine for that matter, doesn’t get any better. Give this monumental Cote Rotie 5-6 years and enjoy it over the following 2-3 decades."100 Points Wine Advocate

“A stunner, with ganache, warm tobacco leaf, espresso and singed juniper notes leading the way for an immense core of macerated plum, fig and blackberry fruit flavors. The superlong finish cuts a broad swath, presenting smoldering charcoal and iron details. Best from 2017 through 2040.” 99 Points Wine Spectator

"Another perfect wine is the 2009 Cote Rotie La Turque. It possesses a slightly denser purple color than the opaque Cote Rotie La Mouline as well as notes of Asian spices, roasted meats, bouquet garni, spring flowers, camphor and truffles. It is a different expression of Syrah as this comes from the more iron-laden soils of the Cote Brune. Although never as aromatic, precocious or enjoyable as La Mouline is in its youth, La Turque is, nevertheless, a remarkably concentrated, profound wine that is built like a skyscraper. It possesses a level of intensity and richness that must be tasted to be believed. Despite the flamboyant personality of the vintage, the 2009 will require 4-5 years of cellaring and should age effortlessly for 25-30 years." 100 Points Wine Advocate

"A pure, unadulterated raspberry confiture aroma and flavor is the dominant note today in this deep and expressive red, with extra singed anise, alder, juniper and black currant notes filling in the background, followed by a very dense yet supremely polished finish. Features the weight and density of this fleshy vintage, but the fruit is so inviting this is almost approachable now. Better to wait though. Best from 2015 through 2035."98 Points Wine Spectator

"Dark purple. Sexy, expansive aromas of boysenberry, violet and incense with a bright mineral quality adding lift. Offers an array of ripe, luscious black and blue fruit and floral flavors that become spicier with air. Sappy, broad and sweet on the gently tannic finish, which shows superb clarity and persistence."95 Points International Wine Cellar

"Glass-staining ruby. Sexy, floral- and spice-accented aromas of candied cherry, black raspberry and cola, with a subtle suggestion of vanilla in the background. Offers an array of lively red and dark fruit and floral pastille flavors that gain flesh and weight with aeration. Closer in style to the Mouline than the Landonne this year. Closes spicy and extremely long, with suave tannins and lingering sweetness." 94 Points International Wine Cellar

"Shows nice flesh for the vintage, with a firm coating of cocoa powder to the crushed plum, black currant and loganberry fruit, followed by warm ganache and roasted bay leaf notes. Has the angles of the vintage, but more depth and breadth than most others. Best from 2013 through 2025." 93 Points Wine Spectator

"The 2008 Cote Rotie la Turque offers smoky, meaty barbeque notes intermixed with notions of roasted herbs, forest floor and coffee beans. Although lower-keyed and less well-endowed, it is an outstanding 2008, one of the finest wines of this challenging vintage in Cote Rotie." 90-92 Points Wine Advocate

"The 2007 Cote Rotie La Turque is more masculine, dense and full-bodied, offering up notes of charcoal, truffles, asphalt, blackberries and hints of roasted meats, new oak and earth. Powerful and rich with silky tannins as well as a muscular style, it tastes as if it came from a completely different appellation." 97 Points Wine Advocate

"Very distinctive, with ganache and espresso aromas and well-structured layers of blackberry, mulled plum, roasted spice, anise and charred apple wood. This has ample grip, but stays polished and integrated, allowing for an almost caressing mouthfeel despite its obvious density. One of the most concentrated wines in the vintage."96 Points Wine Spectator

"The exquisite 2006 Cote Rotie La Turque may or may not be as good. It exhibits exceptional aromas of bacon fat, smoked duck, soy, black currants, blackberries, and graphite. Full-bodied and dense with good acidity, outrageous concentration, and a finish that lasts over 60 seconds, this is amazing stuff!" 95-97 Points Wine Advocate

"This pulls together grip, minerality and fruit, with charcoal and espresso laying the foundation for crushed plum, fig sauce and mulled currant fruit, which then gives way to a vibrant, iron- and tobacco-filled finish that leaves a mouthwatering feel. Very impressive. Best from 2011 through 2030." 96 Points Wine Spectator

"Once again the 2005 Cote Rotie La Turque is a mesmerizing wine. Its extraordinary perfume of camphor, black truffles, bacon fat, spring flowers, blackberries, and cherries is followed by a dense, full-bodied, pure, multilayered wine of superb balance and impeccable harmony. This profound, amazing 2005 should be forgotten for 4-5 years, and drunk over the next three decades."100 Points Wine Advocate

"Extremely dense and reserved, with only hints of coffee, bittersweet chocolate and charred apple wood leaking out from the core of melted fig, black licorice, Lapsang souchong tea and currant preserve notes. Still chewy, with formidable tannins framing the nearly endless finish, this could be the hardest of the trio to break in while cellaring."

99 Points Wine Spectator

"Still tight, but with an ample core of hoisin sauce, licorice, black currant preserve and espresso. There's great length and lovely texture through the finish, which is filled with dark plum, cocoa and iron." 94 Points Wine Spectator

"The 2004 Cote Rotie La Turque exhibits hints of green pepper and bouquet garni intermixed with notions of graphite, blackberries, cherries, and smoky beef. A denser, more tannic, and structured effort than La Mouline, La Turque will benefit from another year or two of bottle age. It should keep for 10-15 years." 93 Points Wine Advocate

"A pure aromatic smorgasbord is offered by the 2003 Cote Rotie La Turque, which has an amazing aromatic profile of espresso coffee interwoven with scorched earth, tar, truffle, incense, blackberry, bacon fat, and flowers. Powerful, thick flavors ooze across the palate with a viscous texture, amazing purity, and just enough acidity and tannin to give uplift and precision to this remarkable tour de force in winemaking. Of the 2003s, this is also approachable, but ideally 2-5 years of cellaring would be suggested, and the wine will evolve for at least 30 more years." 100 Points Wine Advocate

"Incredibly dense and concentrated, with a polished layer of mocha-infused toast pushed by blackberry, black currant, black tea and dark olive flavors. This has tremendous power, but is also very suave, with sweet, exotic fruit notes that linger endlessly on the long, fleshy finish." 98 Wine Spectator

"Tight, with a well-integrated structure holding the mineral, vanilla, sandalwood, plum and cherry notes at bay for now. Yet it's finely assembled, with great length for the vintage, and should age easily."94 Points Wine Spectator

"The 2002 Cote Rotie La Turque, which includes 7% Viognier, reveals a deeper ruby/purple color along with a sweet bouquet of graphite, acacia flowers, black currants, and notions of meat and truffle. Fruity, soft, round, and substantial, it can be drunk over the next 10-12 years." 91-93 Points Wine Advocate

"Packed with blackberry and raspberry fruit, this is a bit of a brute now, with a brick wall of tannins hiding the espresso, mocha, mineral and tar flavors. Shows terrific intensity and drive through the finish, as the fruit gains more and more depth thanks to mouthwatering acidity. This will age for a generation."97 Points Wine Spectator

"Meaty and rich, with notes of Asian spices, espresso roast, creosote, blackberries, and cherries, the 2001 Cote Rotie La Turque is an earthy, powerful, tannic effort with a long, heady, rich finish, and crisper acids than the 2000. Give it 5-8 years of cellaring, and consume it over the following 20-25 years."95-97 Points Wine Advocate

"Smelling like a raspberry and Port reduction, this manages to let an enormous core of bittersweet chocolate, plum compote, chocolate ganache and exotic spice flavors glide across the palate. Its obvious muscularity strides in on the finish and the flavors echo almost endlessly. Needs time though."97 Points Wine Spectator